Techno Sloshy
by The Botherer
Summary: A sequel of sorts to the fanfic 'Prototype' written by HAVoC Creations. Slash: Strong Sad/Homeschool.  Because emos and nerds are the best. AU.
1. Chapter 1

_Chapter 1_

Strong Sad made his way along the sidewalk quietly, the crisp November air chilling his face. He had the newest Sloshy album pouring into his ears through the old partially working iPod headphones. Strong Bad had broken his brand new ones that morning and having turned his room upside down Strong Sad finally found a slightly less mangled pair. He needed music to keep his sanity intact, what with his brother and dorky boyfriend being around all the time. Walking outside was actually the only way to get away from them. He almost gagged at the memory of walking in on them making out yet again in the basement. He might as well never go down there again. And if he ever did, it would only be if they got a new couch…and burned the old one.

Strong Sad couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy at the idea of Strong Bad being so happy while he remained miserable. He was living up to his nickname after all, but it made life seem really…pointless. The only time he felt nearly un-depressed was when talking to Homeschool about computers, AI and any other sci-fi nerdy stuff. He had been _almost_ excited to find someone willing to talk to him who wasn't as pathetic as that group of Gregs. Honestly, talk about no life. Come to think of it though, he wouldn't call what he had 'a life'. Maybe he was being a bit of a hypocrite…?

"Oh great, something else wrong with me…" he muttered under his breath, zipping his hoodie up to his neck and shoving his hands in his pockets to warm them. It wasn't very cold yet, but he wasn't wearing particularly warm clothing either. He'd left the house in a bit of a rush and didn't plan on going back any time soon, so he would have to suffer for a bit. _Maybe I could use this for my writing._

_Ice cold shutters _

_Encasing eyes_

_Losing sense_

_Stumbling in the dark_

_Unable to find home_

"_Home is where the heart is"_

_The heart is ice_

_Frozen in hopeless despair_

Strong Sad had reached the bus stop and in an odd instance of good luck, saw the bus approaching. He'd had pretty good timing apparently. Not that he minded sitting by himself on the cold bench. He could have gone on for hours, mentally composing poetry about pain and darkness. It was his favourite kind, after all.

He climbed on, moved to his favourite seat in the back of the bus and listened to his music. The journey wasn't a particularly long one, and before he knew it, Strong Sad was looking out the window at the large grey library building. Paying the driver and getting off the bus he wandered along the steps to the library deep in thought. Before he knew it he'd by habit walked to the section relating to computer sciences and the like. It didn't matter anyway, he wasn't entirely sick of the subject yet.

Strong Sad had been spending more time with Homeschool after he found out about his little 'project'. He had been asking him a million questions in hope of broadening his knowledge of robotics, and it was working extremely well. He had to take advantage of the situation, right? He never got what he wanted; he deserved to give himself something for _once_.

He had to admit, he did wonder if it wasn't wrong of him to be probing Homeschool for all this information. But then again, the look on his face when answering those questions was something resembling…when you give Homestar a bag of Fluffy Puff marshmallows. Elation.

Strong Sad looked at the time, and saw that he had just over an hour before he was supposed to be studying. Not all too worried about rushing (there's not _all_ that much studying he had to do for art class) he wandered along the shelves. It was somewhat relaxing just trailing his fingers along the spines of the books; scanning for a worthwhile read. He didn't have the energy to examine every book in the library today. Taking it slow he took in the smell of the books. It was refreshing for him. These ones were new and not as dusty or musty as the old literature books. Being around those too much clogs up your head.

Picking a book he finally wanted to actually read, he slid it off the shelf and turned to find a table. However he was rudely interrupted by someone slamming into him and thus knocking him to the ground. Books scattered across the floor and Strong Sad noticed a change in surroundings. Silence. His headphones must have popped out his ears upon collision. By impulse he wanted to find where they had landed, until he noticed just who it was that knocked him down.

"Um…hi Homeschool."

The older brown-haired man adjusted his glasses, the frustrated scowl wiping off his face to be replaced by a sign of slight confusion. Upon recognising Strong Sad, this changed to an expression of embarrassment. "Oh. Um. Yes. Sorry about that." he stammered gathering up his books, muttering angrily under his breath about getting distracted.

As one book in particular was lifted, it revealed that Strong Sad's last set of headphones were no longer. The right earpiece had popped apart, and by the looks of the frayed wires it couldn't be repairable. "So that's why it was so useless…" Strong Sad mumbled and examined it with a look of genuine remorse. He would have no escape from his disturbing home life until he got his next pay cheque and got to the computer store. Homeschool noticed the worn out electronic and frowned. Looking up he noticed Strong Sad's attention on it, and although he couldn't see any difference in his expression, it was obviously a great loss.

Homeschool awkwardly cleared his throat and said that they could go get him another pair from his house. He was sure that he had at least seven lying around somewhere. Strong Sad's face changed slightly, to an almost normal expression which must have meant he was…relieved? It was so hard to tell with him. Sad, melancholic, depressed, remorseful, troubled…they were all slightly different when you were with Strong Sad.

Then it occurred to the young white-haired adult that this meant going to Homeschool's house. Seeing the place where all his genius work took place? That was something worth getting _almost_ excited about. He hadn't felt like this since just before his first Sloshy concert…which he didn't end up getting that into anyway. He couldn't recall ever really getting an adrenaline rush for anything. But either way, he could probably find out more about androids if he was where all the repairs took place, and nobody was around to overhear them.

"That would help me out a lot, thanks." he answered as he helped pick up the last of Homeschool's books, handing them to him. "I'd completely lose it without my music."

"I can understand what you mean…living with Strong Bad and all." Homeschool was almost frightened by the thought. That would be a test of patience that he knew wouldn't be successful. He made his way to check out his books, while Strong Sad ambled along beside him.

"Yeah…it's been much harder lately to get any peace." Strong Sad tried keeping his voice down so the librarian wouldn't kick him out. It took Homeschool five days to be allowed back in after his outburst. The librarian still seemed to have a grudge against him as she stamped his mountain of books with malice.

Homeschool wasn't too sure how to react to that statement. It was completely necessary for his research that Homestar fulfil a proper relationship with Strong Bad. A slight disturbance in the household is a sacrifice that would have to be made. It couldn't be _that_ bad, surely. Awkward, yes, but Strong Sad doesn't seem like the type to leave his room much anyway.

The two left the building in moderate silence, and got into Homeschool's white van. Agreed, it does look rather suspicious, but Strong Sad didn't really want to have to pay for the bus again. He decided the awkward silence was a bit too weird, and decided to make it easier by asking Homeschool a few questions about androids and such. It certainly made his face brighten up, even though he had to avoid some of the questions as he was not permitted to answer them. Either way, the drive was shortened considerably and they pulled into the driveway. Strong Sad noticed the irony of having to go all the way to the library just to come back to his neighbour's house.


	2. Chapter 2

_Chapter 2_

They stepped inside and Strong Sad had to admit what he saw was…unexpected. Homeschool seemed like such an uptight person he'd probably scrub his house spotless, but no. There were items cluttered on dressers (most of which looked like disassembled electronics). In the kitchen, dishes were left around the sink and what appeared to be an empty box of Chinese takeout sat on the table. He must not get much time to clean up or even eat properly with his work then. The coffee machine looked pretty abused as well.

Homeschool was rummaging through drawers which contained rather random contents. He could have sworn he saw what looked like a fortune cookie somewhere. Eventually Homeschool found what he was looking for and was pretty relieved. He could have been searching for hours. He figured he'd better check if they were working, and motioned for Strong Sad to follow him to the basement/workshop. Once they'd descended the stairs, the young adult couldn't help but gasp slightly. It was a tech geek's paradise down there. Multiple projects in process, pieces of electronics and bundles of gadgets covered the shelves and desks all around the room. He hadn't felt like this in his life. It was…pleasant. Overwhelming, but pleasant. Homeschool smiled when he saw Strong Sad's reaction. If only he could find more people who'd appreciate this. "I figured you'd like it."

"But…how…woah this is…" Strong Sad's said in moderate monotone, as usual. But judging how he stood in one spot unable to decide where to look, he must have been amazed. He wandered over to a table with some old parts strewn all over the place, and what looked like pieces of a tazer. He was tempted to pick something up but was afraid he'd mess with whatever was going on.

After noticing the hesitation, Homeschool pointed to the bundle of mechanical parts strewn around the torn-apart tazer and said "I won't be needing that any more. You don't have to stand there like a scarecrow." The thought of a scarecrow that looked like Strong Sad was weird. Not very scary actually. It would probably be completely ignored.

Homeschool then found some of his tools and began taking apart the headphones. If he'd taken parts out of it before and forgotten about it, there might have been a problem. He could even enhance the sound a bit more, who knows how messed up they might be. Strong Sad examined the different pieces he'd found on the desk closely and was impressed by the way they'd been stripped of their useful parts without damaging the original object. He wondered what Homeschool did with all his left over parts, and then looking around the room he figured…nothing. They were probably just tossed to the side in case of the need for later use. There was an interesting display of hoarding in this house. It seemed almost unhealthy.

After a few minutes the headphones were operational, and even better than before. Strong Sad was relieved and thanked Homeschool for his help. He wondered if maybe he could ask about the parts used in the Hu.B.E.R.T. android…you know. Since he was there already. He could stay there for a little while longer, it wasn't even 3 yet.

A little while longer turned into hours of conversation swinging from androids to computers to past accomplishments, lifestyle and somehow, music.

"Well…I kinda like an alternative sound I guess…I don't know if you know Sloshy…? It's my favourite band. I do branch out a bit but I mean…" Strong Sad had been asked before about his music but was usually cut off by this point. He was allowed to continue. How…exhilarating. "I guess kinda just anything is good if it's in more of a minor key, slow, or easy-going."

Homeschool didn't particularly like that kind of music. He figured they'd possibly get along with classical music at least, even if it was the depressing kind. So he suggested some different composers he knew of. Rummaging around looking for some CDs he placed the unwanted ones on the desk. Strong Sad fiddled with his iPod a bit unsure of what else to say, and his gaze strayed to the covers of some of the CDs, leaving him a bit surprised.

"Techno music, huh?" Homeschool turned around and saw that he was indicating to the various CDs he'd moved.

"Some of it is actually pretty good. It's nice to hear music that can be created with computers."

"I guess so, but it's still a bit too upbeat for me." He wrinkled his nose slightly at remembering when Strong Bad had erased all the music on his iPod and replaced it with techno, polka and Limozeen.

"And Sloshy's a bit too grungy for my taste. But maybe if they had some sort of Techno Sloshy I'd listen to it." He smiled a bit at the idea. It was a really bad one.

"Yeah…um…no." Yes. A really bad idea indeed.

"I'd try it myself but I don't have the time or musical creativity. Maybe The Cheat could do it. I hear he's good with that kinda stuff." Homeschool had finally found the CD he was looking for and handed it over to Strong Sad. He took it and looked at it thoughtfully.

Techno Sloshy huh…?


	3. Chapter 3

_Chapter 3_

Walking through the front door and tuning out the usual insults/greetings from his brother, Strong Sad climbed the stairs thoughtfully. He dropped his backpack beside his bed, and collapsing on the mattress he noticed he'd ended up staying at Homeschool's house for almost 4 hours. Wow. He'd never spent so much time at someone's house before. Did this mean he had a friend…? Interesting concept. He decided not to jump to conclusions and just leave it as it is. Habitually climbing off the bed to make his way to the kitchen, he suddenly realised he wasn't all that hungry. Now this was new. Unsure of what to do next, the college student decided that studying wasn't going to cut it and put on the CD Homeschool had lent him. It was actually pretty nice, and lead to some creative interpretation. He pulled out his sketchbook, only to find Strong Bad had glued the pages together. Figures. After jotting down a few ideas in a notebook he'd hidden from his brother's mischievous pranks, Strong Sad lay back down on his bed and closed his eyes. Would he get some sleep tonight? Probably not. He didn't think Homestar would be over for the night. But whatever peace he could salvage would be incredibly valuable.

Sure as anything, after a few hours Strong Bad came bursting into his little brother's room, looking for some entertainment. He dumped a combination of ice cubes and sub-zero temperature water on Strong Sad's bed, immediately getting him up. The masked man laughed like a little kid having pulled off the greatest prank ever. Lack of maturity, check. Strong Bad seemed pretty normal today.

"What do you want?" the younger one whined as he pulled off his soaked hooded sweatshirt. It was his favourite shade of grey too.

"Where were you all day today? I doubt the library. Those freaky ladies kick everyone out early on a Sunday. You were having a nerd-fest next door weren't you?"

Strong Sad was slightly embarrassed by the tone Strong Bad used. He was used to the jabs at his 'nerdy' hobbies and acquaintances, but the way he said it was implying something weirder. Before he could explain anything about his headphones, Strong Bad interrupted with a "What is this crap anyway?" motioning toward the CD player. After passing a few more snide remarks and demanding that dinner preparations be made, he left the room to see if anything was on TV. Used to these random and short-lived outbursts, brother Strong Sad shuffled down to the kitchen to make some food. He didn't see why he had to do it, his cooking was frequently mocked and his older brother was the best cook out of the two of them anyway. Nobody let Strong Mad near the oven, ever.

He started looking through the fridge to see what slightly-usable food was still there. He couldn't find much, but after searching the freezer in the end he settled for spaghetti bolognese. Or at least a very quick version of it; no one else would care. Just as he started getting all the ingredients, pots and pans together, The Cheat came around dropping off Strong Mad. He spent most weekends with him, being pretty much his only friend. It was good he was helping out their socially awkward brother. He really liked spending time with The Cheat, and was the person he spoke about most.

"Hey Strong Sad, whatcha makin'?" the young-looking blonde hopped up on a chair inquisitively. "Can I have some?"

"If you want to stay for dinner you're welcome. You do it almost every night anyway." Strong Sad's usual drawl seemed a bit more fast-paced today to The Cheat. He was either concentrating hard on his cooking or lost in thought. Embarrassing thought maybe? That usually made people jumpier…maybe it made Strong Sad less depressive.

"What's up? You seem…not as boring as usual."

"…Is that a compliment?" The white-haired boy turned his attention back onto the food. "I can't say I really noticed."

Usually The Cheat didn't really care about Strong Sad. However, something that would make him less…Strong Sad-like was probably worth finding out. "You're thinking about something aren't you? What is it? A girl?"

Strong Sad's first reaction was the thought 'I wish' followed by a small internal smile. "No, and I doubt that would be the case any time soon."

The Cheat figured that if it wasn't a girl then it probably wasn't worth the trouble of talking to this boring person. Nothing else would be interesting. Unless…

"…is it a boy?" You never knew; Strong Sad could turn out to swing that way. Just look at his brother. Completely out of the blue…

But judging by his expression, pushing on unimpressed - a wider range than his usual expressions at that - he didn't go for boys. The Cheat shrugged his shoulders and slid off the chair, taking his leave. It was boring anyway.

Left alone in the kitchen again he was briefly wishing he had brought his iPod down with him. He felt strangely lonely upon thinking of how he couldn't listen to his music with his new headphones. Then he realised that he missed them because they were from Homeschool. He only felt so lonely because he'd enjoyed spending time with someone for the first time in years. He only missed the company so much, not the person himself. That was it…wasn't it?

He'd been lonely before but usually ignored it. This was different. It was pulling at his heart painfully. If his behaviour was similar to that of an awkward love-struck teenager, he had a problem. His cheeks went pink, for the first time in a while. No, he was totally off-base. He was only thinking about Homeschool because they had similar interests and they were becoming friends…at least he hoped they were. He was socially inexperienced, and had never felt close to anyone since he and Strong Bad had still got along with each other as children. Of course his emotions would be all over the place.

That's when the pot of pasta boiled over and Strong Sad snapped back to attention. He should really focus when he's making dinner. Taking it off the stove and turning off the plate, he started his search for some kind of dishcloth to clean it up. He just hoped he could cover up his mistake before…

"You're messing it up already, dumpy? I at least thought you'd make it half-way through." Strong Bad idled in and rummaged through the fridge searching for a cold one. It didn't take long, considering how empty it was. How anyone was able to eat in that house was a mystery. "You have to go get more food."

Strong Sad was now carefully wiping up the mess, trying not to burn himself on the still-hot stove plate. "I've been getting the groceries for you a month straight now. Go do it yourself." His usual passive tone he used with his brother was being overpowered. He had actually said it with such uncharacteristic force that Strong Bad was taken aback. Temporarily at least.

"You'll never get me to do anything, dork." was the reply Strong Sad got as he became once again the only person in the kitchen. His brother was tiring sometimes, almost as PMS-y as Marzipan could be. Hearing his brother's heavy footsteps on the staircase he was grateful that Strong Bad would never know his thoughts…otherwise he'd be chained in the bathtub a month ahead of schedule.

Nothing else had gone wrong during the preparation or consumption of dinner. As Strong Sad was putting dishes into the sink and The Cheat was getting ready to leave, he briefly debated whether his sanity was slipping as he requested for him to try out a kind of musical experiment.

"Techno Sloshy? You're kidding, right?" The look of disbelief on The Cheat's face wasn't surprising.

"If you could make that work, you'd be able to do anything." The way he was looked at like some sort of crazy person didn't really bother Strong Sad. He was actually too busy hoping he would get a definite answer. He was getting almost excited again.

After a few moments speculation, The Cheat's sceptical expression faded and he agreed. "But I don't even see why you'd want something like that. Techno music practically made you throw up when he filled your playlist with it." His mischievous smile showed how he enjoyed the memory of torturing Strong Sad. Whatever else boring garbage was said didn't register; he was too busy thinking of how he and Strong Bad could make this miserable person's life worse. Yeah it was really mean, so what? Cheating and pranks were what gave him purpose. He had to live up to his name after all. Putting on his spotted trench coat he walked out the door in the middle of Strong Sad's sentence.

He was used to it. But it didn't matter. He was becoming surprisingly attached to the idea of defying all musical laws and seeing how badly this turns out. He wanted to see Homeschool's reaction, seeing as he was the one experienced with techno music anyway.

It was only for the musical experiment, not for the person. Of course not the person.


	4. Chapter 4

_Chapter 4_

Strong Bad was making his noon-ly trip to the kitchen to get some breakfast when he looked out the window. There was a blonde in a purple dress standing outside. She was handing out flyers or something. Whatever. As long as she doesn't ring the…

_Ding dong._

Crap. Maybe if he ran now he could make it up the stairs fast enough for nobody to notice him…and then he'd get to checking his e-mail. He'd already put it off for far too long today. But he needed to eat something…

"I can see you're in there Strong Bad. Open the door." Why can't she just skip this house altogether? She knows there's no one here who actually cares…oh wait.

"Strong Sad can do it. He's the only one here who gives a crap about protest rallies or whatever." He didn't have time for this. He was going into town today with Homestar. The idea of him going on a date with a guy seemed unnatural. But Homestar wasn't really a guy. So it was okay. At least that was what he would keep telling himself until he adjusted. It's not like someone as stubborn as Strong Bad can just change his values overnight. Besides, he enjoyed spending time with him. A lot.

With that he picked up an orange, clomped up the stairs and promptly threw said orange at Strong Sad. "Quit whining to your diary and go answer the door." Before a reply could be uttered the door slammed and his usual little e-mail song could be heard. Strong Sad sighed and made his way to the door. This happened so often he was used to it by now. Upon opening it he saw the familiar face of the only girl who actually spoke to him. Her sour expression vanished when she realised she hadn't been left randomly standing outside today.

"Hey Strong Sad. Thanks for _actually opening the door and letting me in_." She said part of this loud enough to travel through Strong Bad's window so he'd hear how indignant she felt. Not that he would care. But it was worth a shot. She was still a little bitter about how Strong Bad was now dating her ex-boyfriend. Their relationship hadn't been anything spectacular but it's still insulting rejection.

"I'm sorry. Strong Bad is just being…Strong Bad." He couldn't exactly excuse his brother's behaviour, everyone was familiar with it. It was just who he was. Strong Sad noticed the (recycled) paper in Marzipan's hands. "So what are those flyers for?"

"I'm holding a rally on Saturday. It's to protest against the improper disposal of the possibly nuclear waste Bubs has been sneaking out of his Concession Stand. I have no idea where it comes from or how he's been unharmed from it for so long, but anyway." Considering how Bubs had a very strange-looking eye and a slightly blue tinge to his face, Strong Sad wasn't sure how he could be classified as 'unharmed'. "I was going around asking people to pitch in with refreshments and setting up. The only way half the people who live here would come is if there's food."

"I can make cupcakes. We can use the icing to make crossed-out 'hazardous waste' symbols on them. You know…to promote how unsafe it is and stuff." Strong Sad had tons of creative ideas, but no one bothered to listen to him half the time. Marzipan included. At least today she seemed to be paying attention.

"That's great! Let me think, the amount of people likely to turn up, and a bunch of them will eat multiple cupcakes…oh yes. The King of Town is back from his stay at the hospital. We'll need about fifty of them."

Strong Sad's eyes widened slightly. "Wait, fifty cupcakes…?" Marzipan pulled a notebook from the shoulder bag she'd been carrying her flyers in and scribbled something down.

"Thanks Strong Sad! This is going to help me out so much!" Before anything more could be said the excited blonde ran off to go pester some other people about pitching in. Strong Sad sighed again. He was used to this too. He always ended up biting off more than he could chew. He had a couple days to get it all together, but he wondered if he couldn't maybe get some help. Strong Bad was surprisingly good at baking, but he wouldn't help. Actually, he'd probably eat everything. Mental note, don't tell Strong Bad where the cupcakes are hidden.

There was one other person he could ask, but would he agree to it…? If they had become friends like he'd hoped, there was a possibility. Considering he was already standing in the doorway, going next door wouldn't be a total waste. He ambled down the path wondering how he'd phrase it without sounding too weird. Okay that wouldn't be possible. 'Hi I need you to help me to make fifty anti-nuclear waste cupcakes' is kinda pushing the boundaries of normal.

Whatever. He was already walking along the sidewalk. He'd have to wing it. Strong Sad noticed that there was a significant absence of Homeschool's white van. Nevermind. He'd have to call or something. No wait. He didn't have his number.

Strong Bad would have Homestar's landline wouldn't he…? That isn't stalkerish, not at all. Getting someone's number from your brother's boyfriend's number. Why was social interaction so hard? This is probably why he'd avoided it for so long. Content to forget the whole idea, Strong Sad decided to go spend some time in his room writing depressing poetry. It would cheer him…down? It's difficult to explain how it made him feel. It settled him. You know, made him feel stable in his confusing life.

However when he got to his room, he didn't feel any inspiration. He still had a nervous tension sitting in his stomach. He was familiar with it, but it's never been so overpowering. Every time he started interacting with someone outside of his family he got this funny feeling. Again, probably why he avoided doing so. He let out a frustrated sigh. The doorbell rang, and Strong Sad figured he'd have to answer it again. The bright face awaiting him was not surprising.

"Oh hey Stwong Sad! You'we looking mowe depwessing than evew!" Homestar's speech impediment came and went depending on his overall feelings for the day. Sometimes he spoke normally, sometimes he decided to act extra goofy. He'd been doing it especially often as of late.

"You probably wouldn't care to hear why. I'll go get Strong Bad." Strong Sad's voice showed that he was irritated all of a sudden. He wasn't sure why. This kind of thing never bothered him before.

"You'we acting weally weiwd today, Stwong Stwong." Homestar walked in and closed the door behind him. Strong Sad had a puzzled look on his face. The brunette noticed. He's so much more expression-y than usual…strange.

"What do you mean I'm acting weird today?" Homestar opened his mouth, but before he could say anything Strong Sad quickly added, "And please speak properly." It gets hard to focus when someone leaves out all their 'r's and sounds like a little kid.

"Sorry. I saw you walking along the sidewalk toward my house as I was getting ready to leave, but you just turned around and left. And you're getting all…weird now." Homestar added a waving motion with his hands to emphasise the weirdness. Slightly amused by it, he continued.

Strong Sad ignored this, turning to analysing himself. He noticed his odd acting out all of a sudden, but couldn't figure out why. Unsure of what to answer, he just shrugged and went to go call Strong Bad. He'd have peace and quiet in the house all afternoon to ponder his strange behaviour anyway.

The older brother obviously heard Homestar's voice because he's ended up nearly bowling over the youngest while coming down the stairs. Homestar's already cheerful face seemed to light up even more. "Hey Stwo Bwo!"

"Don't." Was the immediate (secretly affectionate) reply, meaning the speech impediment was only going to irritate Strong Bad today. He tried to hide his eagerness, but looked at the door expectantly. "I've been so fricken bored today." The smile that Strong Bad had on his face gave it away. He'd been missing Homestar.

Homestar was about to follow Strong Bad out the door when he suddenly remembered something. "Oh yeah, Strong Sad? Homeschool wanted his CDs back. Or to give you new ones. Whichever." After that he was promptly tugged out the door and it was shut.

Strong Sad managed to figure out the basic outline of what Homestar said. He had been sort of invited to Homeschool's house, in a way. Homeschool would probably be back around four, so he could go then. But he knew that his brother would be all over his boyfriend when they got back tonight. He should try to stay long enough until he had a clear zone to run to his room. Almost shuddering at the thought of them actually being _in_ his room, Strong Sad decided he should lock his door before he leaves.

This was actually pretty perfect for him, seeing as now he'd be able to ask for help without seeming too creepy. Well actually he would anyway. But what does it matter if he's seen as creepy? Everyone already thought he was. The idea of Homeschool thinking he was weird unsettled Strong Sad. It was probably just his new-found friend confusion again. Nothing serious.

There was still just over an hour to kill, he might as well do some work for school. He had classes all of the next day, but only a morning class on Wednesday. He could sort out the massive order of cupcakes then. Just the idea of baking cupcakes not by himself was _almost_ exciting. Strong Sad had been getting closer and closer to emotions he wasn't used to, and it started to get increasingly unsettling. What was happening to him? He wasn't sure what was going on in his own head. It felt like puberty all over again. That was hell, so it better not happen again. No wait what? Scientifically it can't. What was he thinking? So irrational. Stupid.

Strong Sad stopped the semi-argument he was having with himself in his mind, and decided it would be safest to go calm down while listening to some music. That classical music Homeschool gave him. It was soothing. Yes. That's a good plan. He made his way up the stairs and put the music on. He didn't mean to fall asleep, it happened so quickly. He only meant to close his eyes for a second. Obviously the sleep was needed, but it wasn't exactly a good time. He dreamed of a grey-looking lake filled with purple sponges. It was a weird dream.


	5. Chapter 5

_Chapter 5_

Slowly surfacing, there seemed to be silence. The music must have stopped. Some time ago. The time. Homeschool's music. Going to see Homeschool. The time…

Strong Sad bolted up when he realised he had no idea what time it was. He found a random watch on his table and saw it was ten minutes past four. He jumped up and pulled his hooded sweatshirt on, grabbing his backpack and any other things he might want to take. He almost tripped down the stairs he was getting in such a rush for reasons unknown to him. He just had this urge to go next door. He had to go there at that moment. He didn't have time. Time. What a weird concept. He was afraid it would drag on, and he'd be so bored he'd end up leaving early. It turns out it slipped through his fingers like water. Stupid sponge-lake. It probably didn't even mean anything.

The only thing that brought this insanity to a halt was finding that he was standing directly behind Homeschool, unlocking his door. He turned around and cast Strong Sad a confused look, shortly before turning back to getting the door open. Now he felt like an idiot, realising he was only ten minutes late for something he'd arranged by himself. Feeling more embarrassed than he had in ages, he felt his cheeks grow hot, knowing his pale complexion would give it away immediately. Homeschool turned back to him after opening the door, smiling slightly at the awkward young adult. He was strange sometimes. Almost like himself as a teenager.

"I'm guessing Homestar remembered to tell you then." Homeschool stepped aside for his slightly flustered companion to enter. "I wasn't sure if he would, considering how obsessed he's become with Strong Bad…" There was a pause, an awkward one. "So, the music." Homeschool had relocated his collection to the living room upstairs, for convenience. He'd also reorganised his CDs into genres, giving them more attention than usual. Some of them he'd forgotten existed.

He handed over the certain ones that he'd pre-selected, but started getting ahead of himself and pulled out other ones he thought were worth discussing. The two ended up chatting about music for the majority of Strong Sad's visit. The haphazard pile of CDs grew and it started looking just like it did the previous day. The younger of the two was also shown which ones Homeschool considered as his favourites, and one which he called the 'best techno compilation he's ever found'. Strong Sad was slightly curious about this particular one. Its cover was an obvious computer printout, but still effective. The hundreds of stars formed clouds of different colours and it looked like something you'd only find in the depths of space. He noticed how it was placed away from the tower that had formed. That thing was about to tumble over probably.

Strong Sad suddenly remembered why he wanted to talk to Homeschool. He needed help with making the massive amount of cupcakes he'd unfortunately volunteered to do. He felt really random bringing it up now. However he needed to say it before he forgot again. "I know this is kinda unrelated, but Marzipan's holding a rally this weekend. And I promised I would help with catering. I'm making cupcakes." Okay, off to a decent start. Keep it sounding interesting. "But it's a lot of them, and they need to be specially decorated. It's too much work for me by myself, so I was wondering if you wouldn't mind helping out…?" That didn't sound too bad…not exactly good either. He immediately felt awkward again and wished he'd just stuck to struggling by himself. Like Homeschool would agree to help bake cupcakes. He was a scientist. Not exactly his field of interest.

Homeschool was obviously thinking it over, but it was excruciating waiting for an answer. For some inexplicable reason, Strong Sad felt like his whole being depended on Homeschool helping him now. These haphazard emotions were driving him crazy!

"Alright then. I'm not too good in the kitchen but I'm sure I could help anyway." He smiled reassuringly, obviously trying to put the younger of the two at ease. He sympathised a bit, it was hell being a social outcast. Back when he cared of course. Now he didn't care what people thought. But spending time with this person was proving…entertaining. He had to admit to himself that it got a bit lonely. "So what exactly do we have to do?"

Strong Sad felt so relieved he might as well have passed out. What was going on with him? Why did it matter so much? His head made less and less sense to him. He figured he'd worry about it later and try to keep this going semi-smoothly. Not that his visit had started well. "Marzipan wants to protest against the 'possibly nuclear waste' Bubs has been trying to dispose of incorrectly. So I suggested that the cupcakes have crossed-out hazardous waste symbols on them." Strong Sad was finding it difficult to word the sentence any differently than it had been that morning. Now he was being picky about every sentence he spoke? The hell?

Homeschool nodded in appreciation. "Clever. But how many is 'a lot' exactly?" He had a sceptical look on his face because he knew there would have to be a decent amount of food to attract enough people. And he doubted his cooking skills (or lack thereof) would be able to contribute to that amount.

"Um…she said about fifty." Strong Sad braced himself for the refusal he was so sure would be coming his way. Instead he was surprised to find Homeschool nod again, and then smile slightly wider than earlier.

"We'll have to work hard to get this done in time then." This was unexpected. Homeschool always seemed like the type of person to be bitter and unsociable, too wrapped up in his work to care about anyone else. He was probably just as misunderstood as Strong Sad. And he had a lot of pressure taken off his shoulders recently with Homestar being out of his hair properly. Maybe he just needed someone who could relate to him to loosen up.

Suddenly he couldn't help it. Strong Sad gave Homeschool a small, but almost in a way, friendly smile. It almost caught him off-guard. Before he could react, he was interrupted by the phone ringing. He went to answer it, leaving Strong Sad by himself…who promptly slapped himself in an attempt to bring himself to his senses. What was that about? Why on earth did he smile like that? Why _would_ he? It was so against his nature. He was now sure that something must be wrong with him. He had all these weird urges to do things he would never normally do. He was getting more and more curious about Homeschool. He wanted to get closer to him and find out why he liked the things he did. He felt like that CD had been practically _staring_ at him for the past ten minutes. He heard Homeschool was getting close to finishing off on the phone in the kitchen. Time. No, not now. That stupid 'time' thing was bugging him again. Not enough. Why? Plenty. Why is time an issue? Need more. Don't.

Putting the phone down, Homeschool walked back into the living room feeling slightly awkward. "Sorry about that. It was to do with my work. I'm going to be busy all day tomorrow so..." He noticed Strong Sad was suddenly jumpy and nervously messing with his hair. Weird boy.

Strong Sad was shaken up by his sudden battle within himself. "That's fine. I've got classes until Wednesday morning anyway. We'll work on it after then okay?" Before there could be a reply Strong Sad started making his way to the door. "Look I just realised the time and I have to go get dinner ready before Strong Bad gets back. Thanks so much for the music and stuff. I really appreciate the help." And the nervous wreck was gone. Homeschool glanced at the clock and saw that it was barely past five. Sometimes Strong Sad was confusing. Really confusing. He could relate to it from what he remembered feeling like when he was younger, but honestly sometimes it was just too weird. And now he was going to be making cupcakes with him. Odd situation, if you think about it. But he should probably practice or do some research so he can be a bit more useful on the day. He didn't think fifty burnt cupcakes would cut it.

Meanwhile in the Strong household there was a sudden disturbance as Strong Sad ran up the stairs and slammed his bedroom door behind him. Not that anyone was there to hear it, but that's not the point. The emptier the better, in this case.

He was most definitely not used to this sort of thing. He fished through his backpack and pulled out the offending CD that caused him to do something so outrageous. Stupid techno music. What's so great about it anyway? Why does he feel like he needs to listen to it so much as to steal it? Technically it was sort of borrowing. He wasn't going to keep it, but he just needed to know…why it was so great…

"This is all your fault."


	6. Chapter 6

_Chapter 6_

After digging through a couple of boxes the next morning Strong Sad had found his old CD Walkman. He'd just gotten so used to using his iPod he forgot all about it. He held it in his hands, looking at it thoughtfully. Just think, the next generation won't even know that record players were ever invented. Technology moves so fast that it completely erases your memory of whatever previously existed.

Strong Sad had been feeling increasingly uneasy about what he'd done, and had no idea how he was supposed to fix it. It's not like he can give the CD back to Homeschool, or sneak it back into his house without him knowing it was gone. There was only one person he knew who was so impulsive. The idea of becoming like his brother sent shivers down his spine. No way. Never. He had to stop this immediately, before it got out of hand.

Strong Sad glanced at the offending CD, frowning slightly. Since he had it, he might as well listen to it. He was only a little curious. Keeping an open mind also applies to music. Exploration of different genres just helps to set boundaries and understand what you really like to listen to. It's completely justified. Completely.

The first thing he remembered hearing was a mash of different sounds. Probably computer-generated. They started spacing themselves out and transforming into a beat. It faded into a melody, and it was incredibly catchy. He usually hated music that seemed catchy because that meant it would turn 'mainstream' very quickly. He didn't like to admit it because he felt like he was being prejudiced, but Strong Sad was always put off by things that everyone as a whole liked. He believed in individuality and being true to yourself; not following the crowd. However it turned into almost being afraid of liking something everyone else did. Afraid that he'd lose himself and turn into one of _them_. Those stupid kids always obsessed with themselves and 'being cool'; the complete opposite of what actually matters in life. The jocks, the cheerleaders, the nerds. All labels that separate people from each other just because of superficial idiocy.

Strong Sad had come to realise that this uneasiness with mainstream and convention was completely irrational. But that didn't make it go away. He would probably be this way forever. Always trying to be open-minded when in reality the only reason his world is so narrow is because of a silly fear.

Unwilling to admit to anything, he decided not to hold an opinion until he'd listened to the whole CD. He wouldn't say he enjoyed it or hated it. Though it was certainly not as bad as he thought it would be. There were parts of the song that flowed at the kind of slow pace he preferred, and then it would speed up into a hypnotic rhythm which almost shut out all of his thoughts. It was…addictive. Slipping into a world where colours can be found in the sound, where patterns are almost felt. No, this was not being unbiased. He turned the volume down to half capacity in order to prevent spacing out again.

Trying to keep a level head in order to judge the music to its full extent, the slightly stubborn Strong Sad carried on with life as normal. He didn't have much time until he had to leave, so he needed to find something to eat quickly. There should still be a fraction of cereal left since Strong Bad wouldn't be up for another couple hours. Wandering into the kitchen he was greeted by a slightly awkward sight. Homestar was wearing a pair of red-and-white star patterned boxer shorts. Only.

"Good morning Strong Sad!" He was incredibly cheerful as he hummed a very unmusical tune to himself. This made it a troubling sight. There was only one possible explanation for Homestar acting so incredibly happy (in his underwear), and Strong Sad was far from willing to explore that thought. Feeling embarrassed by the situation and directing his gaze elsewhere, Strong Sad tried to find milk in the fridge that hadn't been there since dinosaurs walked the earth. Homestar's high-tuned hearing picked up the faint music pouring into Strong Sad's ears, and he recognised it almost immediately. "Hey that sounds like Homeschool's favourite CD!"

_Clatter._

Strong Sad had dropped his spoon on the floor while halfway through walking towards the table. His cheeks turned pink in embarrassment as he quickly picked it up and wiped it off. "I don't know what you're talking about." He certainly didn't look suspicious. No, not at all.

"I can hear it playing. I never expected you to listen to that kind of music." Homestar didn't realise it, but right now that was possibly the worst way to put it. Strong Sad was feeling increasingly awkward knowing why his brother's half-naked boyfriend was still in their house the morning after their date. But considering how jittery he was about not wanting to give anyone any reason to think he liked something mainstream, and the fact he'd taken Homeschool's favourite CD without asking…what he did next seemed completely justified. Strong Sad still couldn't figure out why exactly he'd become more expressive recently, and it was obviously getting worse. He'd never snapped at Homestar before, but they say there's a first for everything.

"I don't! This is purely a study I'm conducting and it doesn't mean I like it!" After a few seconds Strong Sad felt guilty about his outburst. However to be fair, Homestar pushed his buttons. If he and his brother have been…_in_ the basement all night then he should at least consider the rest of the household and not make it so obvious! And he refused to let Homestar think he was anything like other people, liking the popular music. He was his own, individual person.

Unable to stand the situation any longer, he decided breakfast just wasn't worth it and grabbed his backpack on the way out the door. He could figure out what was going on in his head when he was by himself, without people in his space or breathing down his neck. Going to his classes would keep him busy, so he wouldn't have to worry about this for a while. The music started to have a sort of calming effect on Strong Sad as he allowed his steps to follow the rhythm. He turned the volume back up and decided that zoning out wouldn't be too bad right now.

He didn't change the CD once in the entire day, listening to it whenever he had a break. He wasn't going to admit to anything. He wasn't going to say he liked it or hated it. It was just addictive.


	7. Chapter 7a

_Chapter 7a_

Homeschool was not exactly what you would call a sociable person. Always being so caught up in his work, he didn't have time for other people. He'd never really had many friends in school either. He was seen as a freak because of his natural grasp on technology that put him years ahead of his classmates - intellectually, that is. He never went to the football games or the parties everyone else was so eager to be a part of. He just didn't see the appeal. That explains why on a social scale, he was ridiculously far behind.

Keeping in mind his lack of interest in real people, Homeschool was unable to explain why he'd taken to spending time with Strong Sad. He'd been more open and talkative with him than with any other person. The most likely reason was that in some twisted way the overly awkward adolescent was the easiest person to relate to out of the neighbourhood. How depressing.

All in all though, he'd forgotten what it was like to spend time with someone who actually understood what you were talking about, (or would at least try to and not leave you in mid-conversation.) It was rather…pleasant. Perhaps it was just certain types of people who irritated him. Everyone else was too energetic, arrogant, or pushy to deal with. But Strong Sad has in comparison the most easy-going personality…once you get past his awkward side.

And now, not only was Homeschool going to be spending time with Strong Sad again, but he was going to be making cupcakes. A bit of a strange activity, although it could prove to be quite entertaining. And it would be cruel to leave Strong Sad to do it alone; there's not much doubt that he doesn't have other friends to help him. Or just other friends period.

Which brought up the question…whether Homeschool and Strong Sad were friends now. They'd been on talking terms for a while, and considering the parties involved it made it a reasonably big deal. He'd lent Strong Sad music and given him headphones. They had discussed multiple scientific theories and Homeschool had told him more about androids than he was supposed to. They were going to be spending the following afternoon making cupcakes together. Gosh, he even made Strong Sad _smile_ slightly. The term 'acquaintances' doesn't quite apply anymore.

Homeschool felt as if he were an awkward teenager himself again. Getting so confused about people was why he avoided interacting with them. But the idea of having a friend was, well in a really corny way, exciting. He hadn't quite been friends with anyone since he was in school, and even that wasn't much. Realising he had a smile on his face, Homeschool felt a bit embarrassed. Now was not the time to get sentimental.

He moved down into his workplace, hoping to find something he could preoccupy himself with. He had nearly 18 hours to kill and the time was dragging on at snail speed. However a few hours later Homeschool's lack of sleep had obviously caught up with him. His head rested on the table in front of him, glasses slightly askew and screwdriver still gripped in his right hand; completely dead to the world.

Well that's one way to pass the time.


	8. Chapter 7b

_Chapter 7b_

After spending the whole day feeling like an emotional ticking time bomb, Strong Sad was exhausted. He felt uninspired and uninterested. All he could manage was lying on his bed in a daze; though he was surprisingly still not tired of listening to Homeschool's favourite techno music. It blocked out his crappy emotions, his crappy family life, and his overall crappy day. Holy crap it sucked.

…Oh god. He really was sounding more and more like this brother every day. Strong Sad buried his face in his hands as he let out a desperate sigh. Considering how trying to analyse his behaviour and his emotional rollercoaster obviously was a _bad idea_ and _did not work_, tomorrow self-reflection was prohibited. Homeschool was coming to help make cupcakes, and oh man how much work it's going to be is terrifying…no, enough. Sleep is now the number one priority in order to retain some form of sanity. The awkward young adult didn't remember exactly what had happened when Strong Bad slipped him caffeine some time ago, but judging by what he heard insane Strong Sad is a _very_ bad person to be wandering around.

After lying in peace and silence for a while, Strong Sad's breathing slowed and he soon crashed into a deep sleep. He was completely shattered from having to deal with himself for the entire day. All that mattered was keeping a level head the next day, and not thinking too much. Thinking just caused trouble most of the time anyway.

Before he knew it, Strong Sad was awoken by his brother making unnecessary noise. This noise was his own "guitar solos" he was composing while pumping Limozeen out of the stereo (and all the speakers he could add onto it) at the absolute highest volume it would allow. The youngest of the household was feeling better; mellow like his usual self again. Sleep was a wonder-cure. But the overwhelming sense of hunger waved over him, and he realised that food was the next step. He did after all need to evaluate what ingredients he could salvage for the cupcake crusade he would be conducting tomorrow. He would also need to know how much he'd have to go out and buy the next morning.

The interesting CD having run out many minutes ago, Strong Sad carefully hid his current listening apparatus for fear of anyone else finding out that he was listening to something as upbeat and mainstream as techno music. If his brother found out, he would never hear the end of it. Even closing his bedroom door after leaving his room just to be safe, he set out to get downstairs.

Strong Bad was jumping around the kitchen shredding on the all-powerful air guitar, singing in a shrill voice about tight pants and french fries or something. After noticing the white-haired weirdo's arrival, the older (but shorter) of the two folded his arms in frustration. "Why you gotta ruin my fun? I thought you were dead or something." It was so nice to have such a supportive family.

"I've gotta make like 50 cupcakes for Marzipan tomorrow, so I'm seeing if there's anything I can use in here. Did you use up all the flour baking again?" Although Strong Bad wouldn't admit it to just _anyone_, he was awesome at both cooking and baking. But he was also just too lazy to do it often, and so Strong Sad would be left to feed everyone.

"Shut up. I don't use it for _baking_. I use it to glue your notebooks, journals and other loser junk together. And to make giant glue-ball cannons. That also shoot lightning…guitars." No, getting a totally honest answer out of Strong Bad is near-impossible.

"Alright well just don't interfere tomorrow. Homeschool's coming to help out." Strong Sad felt a bit awkward about talking to Strong Bad when it came to Homeschool, and he had no idea why. They were friends now, he supposed, so he should be able to talk about him without feeling weird…

Luckily for the awkward young adult, Strong Bad wasn't paying any attention. He zoned out the second he heard that whiny voice begin to come out of Strong Sad's mouth again. "Stop saying words. I'm going to watch TV." He began his descent into the basement, armed with a bag of potato chips. He was hoping he could catch something even remotely interesting before watching the R-rated movie marathon on scrambled cable. "Ah, you can _almost_ see the blood." he mused to himself as he disappeared from sight.

Strong Sad was so used to being interrupted by Strong Bad that he simply shrugged it off and continued his search for ingredients. It seemed that he should be able to scrape together enough flour, and if they had any serious emergencies Homeschool could just drive to the store. Strong Sad felt a slight twinge deep down when he thought of his new friend baking with him tomorrow. He would have to assume it was due to building excitement…or just hunger. He hadn't eaten breakfast and barely managed to find anything worth eating between classes. It was _really_ getting to him. Strong Sad decided to put all thoughts of tomorrow aside for now. Food was currently the number one priority. He could worry about companions, conversations and cupcakes later.


	9. Chapter 8

_Chapter 8_

Strong Sad had found it difficult to concentrate that morning. All he could think about was how he would soon be making cupcakes with his new - dare he say it - friend. He had felt the tension building in his stomach, but noticed it was more pleasant this time. Anticipation was a funny thing. It wasn't a new experience for him, no. He was very used to it when dealing with Strong Bad. He had to expect that he was going to be humiliated and hurt at any given time. However what he felt now…this was different. It was nice. Soon the drawling of his professors and the infinite ticks of the clock had irritated him because of it…but it was still good.

Strong Sad found himself walking surprisingly quickly down the pavement to his house. He never moved like this usually. He should probably calm down a bit. He still had about a half hour until Homeschool would come over. But every time he thought about it he felt a little jolt of excitement. That was it. Strong Sad was truly excited about something for the first time he could ever remember. Probably for the first time in his entire life. He allowed himself a quick smile at this revelation before reverting back to his normal depressing self once inside his house. There was no way Strong Bad was allowed to know about his change in attitude. All he would do is torture him.

Whilst busying himself in the kitchen, Strong Sad listened to the CD that he was currently borrowing without permission. The previous day he had skipped a song because it seemed far too upbeat for the mood he was in. But hearing it for the first time now, it had such an amazing rhythm that he decided to let it play through. It was incredibly bouncy and lively and…completely the opposite of the music he loved. Yet it was still alarmingly hypnotic. He felt as if everything else fell away as he heard the first few lyrics blend into the music, (which was not surprisingly made up mostly of random sounds with a variety of different melodies and bass lines.) In all reason, these contrasting noises mashed together should clash horribly but…they didn't. They went together beautifully.

Strong Sad was completely shocked that such a song could ever appeal to him. It was everything he was a stranger to. He usually loved the music that mellowed out a person, or even gave them a kind of inspiration only felt when depressed. But with this song, his worries seemed to leave him for that short amount of time. Inspiration seemed to blossom within him, yet he was too restless to do anything with it. He briefly lost himself in the music, then suddenly remembered that he would soon embark upon the biggest baking mission ever. He started on pre-heating the oven and making the mixture for the first batch while he waited. Barely two minutes after this the doorbell rang and Strong Sad nearly tripped over himself as he turned around to go let Homeschool in. He had barely ever been excited before that day, and now it was utterly bursting within him. It was so difficult to contain, so difficult to comprehend, that he let it take over. He just couldn't help but smile slightly when he opened the door and saw his new friend standing on the front step.

Homeschool had expected to see Strong Sad looking awkward and unsure of himself as he opened the door. Emphasis on 'had expected'. True, he was slightly surprised to see this pale boy made more so being slightly covered in blotches of flour, clinging to a wooden spoon and mixing bowl. It looked a little strange. However that wasn't what threw him completely off. It was the fact that this person who could make anything morbidly depressing had just flashed a smile at him. A sincere smile you give someone who you are happy to see. An actual smile and not the half-hearted attempt Strong Sad had managed two nights previously. Homeschool followed him through to the kitchen feeling almost bewildered by this display of positive emotion. It was particularly infectious and he started feeling as if baking about four dozens of cupcakes would actually be fun instead of an impossible task.

The two of them started to chat about arbitrary topics, all related to electronics at first, while they worked at making the mixture and pouring it into the tray. To any stranger they seemed like any pair of good friends…but unfortunately there were no strangers in this household. Strong Bad was making his way to the kitchen after sleeping in until noon as he usually did, when the noise started meeting his ears. That, and the smell of cupcakes. He remembered that his boring younger brother had drawled on about baking a whole lot or something. Not much else. So when he saw Homeschool assisting Strong Sad, he was unsure if he was still sleeping or not. He and the nerd-next-door didn't get along so great. And then he saw Strong Sad chattering at almost the speed of a normal conversation. Now he was sure he hadn't really woken up.

Strong Sad noticed Homeschool's gaze flicker uncomfortably as he glanced between the bowl in front of them and the figure behind them. He turned and saw his brother standing in the doorway with a puzzled look on his face. Feeling so energetic, the usually cowardly boy plucked up the courage to stand up to his brother for once. Lowering his eyelids in a manner not unlike the way Strong Bad often does, he quickly said "You can't have any, so don't even try." and then turned back to check the timer. This was a rather obvious sign for Homeschool to ignore the third wheel, but the tension wasn't gone just yet.

Judging by the creased pants and ruffled hair, it was obvious Strong Bad had just rolled out of bed. Or, off the couch. But he was in no way going to allow being treated this way. Defiantly, he strode forward, stretched out his hand and dipped his finger in the batter. He sucked the mixture off, glaring at his younger, far less awesome brother before leaving the room. This was a message that the dork was _so_ going to get it later. When there would be no witnesses.

But Strong Sad couldn't be bothered by half-asleep threats. He glanced over at Homeschool who still seemed uncomfortable, deciding to offer some reassurance. "Never mind him. He's harmless. Most of the time, at least." He then smiled a bit to help ease the tension. With this, Homeschool allowed himself to smile in return. This was definitely the weirdest friendship he'd ever had, but it was still the best by far. He'd only really bonded with this boy a few days previously, and already he noticed a significant change in his behaviour. Going from awkward and brooding to open and more positive. Homeschool had an interest in such social behaviour regarding Homestar, but now he also seemed fascinated by this personality flip in Strong Sad. He felt more at ease now that he had an image of scientific study in his mind. It couldn't be too bad to observe the changes in behaviour and character in someone he spends time with, could it? All it would be is a study up close that he was a vital part of. A change in scenery.

However while Homeschool was justifying his friendship with Strong Sad for the gain of information, Strong Sad was trying to hold down his swelling emotions. It was becoming a bit unnerving how often he had to remind himself to remain calm, not to mention the fact that he was actually standing up for himself for once. Perhaps he just didn't have any motivation in the past. He didn't have any reason to do so. Life seemed to now have a bit more to it than before. Considering the fact that Strong Sad had someone to actually share his experiences with, he wanted to make them worth sharing; in other words not only filled with being picked on by his brother. The pale boy looked at his new companion and decided that as long as he spent time with this person he would have reason to actually live, and not just survive. It wasn't taking advantage of him. He wasn't becoming a bad person by doing this or anything.

Of course while both socially awkward boys where deep in thought, time carried on as it seems to do so often. The first dozen cupcakes had finished baking and they placed the second tray in the oven. Strong Sad came to the realisation that baking the cupcakes wasn't going to be the problem…decorating them was. He started mixing some ridiculously bright red and yellow icing while Homeschool kept an eye on the oven.

Or was at least he was supposed to. He found his gaze unconsciously drifting toward the pale boy next to him, amused by his fussing over getting the right balance between icing sugar and water. Strong Sad was sometimes just too helpful for his own good. For someone so depressing, he actually had a lot of heart. Unfortunately good intentions don't always seem to stay good, as he had learned from dealing with Homestar. He only meant to observe a growing relationship, and forced the android on Marzipan. Then when Homestar had finally found someone he could have a real relationship with, Homeschool separated them in fear of disturbing his research. Perhaps being around an actual person will help him to distinguish the line between good intentions and good actions… Wow that sounded ridiculously corny.

Homeschool was so deep in thought that he didn't hear the timer at first. He then snapped to attention and quickly removed the cupcakes from the oven before they could burn. He removed the oven mitts and accidentally brushed his hand against the tray, feeling a sharp pain on the back of his fingers. "Ow!" Damn metal trays that get so hot so quickly. He sucked on the back of his index finger which had suffered the most of the slight burn.

Strong Sad had turned away from his intricate icing, concern creeping across his features. "Are you alright?" Of course the last thing he needed was his only set of helping hands to be out of operation. (He was barely through with his first dozen cupcakes.) But he was also worried about his new friend. Strong Sad worried about people quite a lot sometimes, but no one cared enough to notice.

Homeschool nodded awkwardly and stuck his hand under running cold water. He felt absolutely ridiculous. He was meant to be helping Strong Sad, and all he had managed to do so far was hurt himself. Granted, they had managed to get two dozen cupcakes baked, but that wasn't even half of the required amount. He turned off the faucet and looked at the pink marks developing on his fingers.

Strong Sad had a little more experience with burns than Homeschool, due to his brother's occasional pyromania. He stepped closer and mumbled "Let me see…" before gently taking his friend's hand and inspecting the marks. It wasn't a particularly bad burn, but it probably stung a lot. He wouldn't need to put anything on it…Homeschool just had to try not to burn himself again.

Homeschool pushed his glasses up his nose and realised his cheeks were a little rosy. He assumed it would have been due to the embarrassment of burning himself on a baking tray, but it only worsened as he tried to think of its cause. He just stood still and let Strong Sad look over the damage. He felt strangely comforted that someone was there to look after him, if only just to inspect a tiny burn. He had been looking after himself for so long, it felt rather foreign to him.

"It's not too bad. You should be fine." Strong Sad released his friend's hand feeling confident that there was nothing wrong. He glanced at Homeschool, noticing how awkward he looked. "Don't worry, I'm used to dealing with baking-induced injuries." He gave him a reassuring look and returned to his icing. It was almost depressing how much work it was turning out to be. Strong Sad was contemplating only properly decorating a dozen and just having bright colours on the rest. No one would really look at the cupcakes anyway.

Homeschool took a minute to fully snap out of his awkward trance. He was almost missing the feeling of Strong Sad's hand around his own. It wasn't for any weird reasons, surely…it was probably just about the feel of real human contact. Thinking about it, he could hardly remember the last time he even touched another person. It was…rather pathetic, honestly.

After that little incident and a slightly awkward silence, the two continued their mission with no other issues. Deciding not to decorate the other cupcakes was probably the best decision Strong Sad could ever make, because finishing off the massive task took quite a few hours. Before they knew it, it was five in the afternoon - the sun had almost completely set by then. Homeschool had work he wanted to get done, and Strong Sad had to make some food before his brother came to terrorise him for it. They agreed to leave it at that. Homeschool turned to Strong Sad just as he was walking out the door, and added "I'll help you deliver these to the rally on Saturday." before wandering down the sidewalk. He was sure he'd see Strong Sad before then; the awkward boy needed the company just as much as he did.

Strong Sad watched Homeschool until he had reached his own front yard before closing the door. He had spent an entire afternoon with him, (baking cupcakes of all the things they could have done), and was feeling not ridiculously depressed like he usually would have done. It was a pretty good day, all in all.


End file.
